The present invention relates to a system for controlling the injection of a liquid carrier into an internal combustion engine, and more particularly to a system for controlling the injection timing of a liquid carrier into an internal combustion engine to improve the combustion effect. The present invention also relates to a process for controlling the injection of a liquid carrier into an internal combustion engine.
As understood, an internal combustion engine utilizes the combustion reaction of gasoline fuel to generate power required for the moving of a vehicle. The combustion effect can be improved by introducing humid air into the combustion reaction of the fuel, as observed from the variations of engine power and fuel consumption versus humidity and as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,096,829, which is incorporated herein for reference. When atomized gasoline intake and atomized water intake encounter with each other in the combustion chamber 30, the gasoline particles are subject to wrapping around the surfaces of water particles 40 to form thin films 41 on respective water carriers, as shown in FIG. 1A, thereby increasing the contact area of the gasoline with the combustion-supporting air. Once the engine operates in a compression program, elevated temperature and pressure result in even smaller gasoline-coated water particles, as shown in FIG. 1B. Accordingly, the overall contact area and thus the mixing ratio of the gasoline with air is even increased so as to improve the combustion efficiency. Meanwhile, the engine power is increased, and the fuel consumption is reduced. On the other hand, the injection of proper amount of water into the combustion chamber together with the fuel may lower the combustion temperature so as to reduce the discharge of NOx, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,112,705, which is also incorporated herein for reference.
For achieving the above purposes, various control systems have been proposed to inject water into the combustion chamber. Those techniques, although involves on the water injection to improve the combustion effect, and some of them use control the water amount in precision. These techniques, however, are not particularly concerned about the injection timing of water injection control, so it may disadvantageously result in a non-optimized water ratio. As is known, the improper proportion of gasoline to water is likely to hinder the engine from outputting power so as to cause the vehicle to stall.
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a system for controlling the injection of a liquid carrier into an internal combustion engine, which supplies water for the combustion reaction in proper timing in order to avoid stalling.
A first aspect of the present invention relates to an injection control system for controlling the injection of a fuel carrier into an internal combustion engine to support thereon a fuel. The injection control system includes a carrier tank for storing therein a fuel carrier; a carrier injector in communication with the carrier tank and a combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine for optionally providing the fuel carrier for the internal combustion engine to mix with a fuel; and a control circuit electrically connected to the carrier injector for controlling an injection operation of the carrier injector, and outputting a disable signal to stop the carrier injector from injecting the fuel carrier into the combustion chamber when a revolving-rate drop of the internal combustion engine exceeds a first threshold value during a predetermined period.
Preferably, the carrier tank is a water tank for storing water as the fuel carrier.
In an embodiment, the control circuit includes a micro-controller. The micro-controller is electrically connected to a revolving-rate output end for receiving revolving-rate signals indicative of revolving rate values. The micro-controller outputs an enable signal to actuate the injection operation of the carrier injector in response to a revolving rate higher than a second threshold value, and outputs a disable signal in response to a revolving rate no higher than the second threshold value. Further the micro-controller outputs the disable signal in response to a revolving rate higher than a third threshold value and a revolving-rate drop larger than the first threshold value during the predetermined period. Preferably, the third threshold value is higher than the second threshold value.
In an embodiment, the carrier injector includes a connecting tube in communication with the carrier tank and an intake manifold of the internal combustion engine for passing therethrough the fuel carrier; and a magneto valve device associated with the connecting pipe and electrically connected to the control circuit for optionally performing the injection operation in response to the enable/disable signal outputted by the control circuit.
Preferably, the injection control system further includes a carrier reservoir in communication with the carrier tank for supplying the fuel carrier to the carrier tank when a stock amount of the fuel carrier in the carrier tank is lower than a first predetermined level.
Preferably, the injection control system further includes a first carrier sensor mounted to the carrier tank and electrically connected to the control circuit for informing that a stock amount of the fuel carrier in the carrier tank is lower than the first predetermined level by outputting a supply signal; a carrier pump electrically connected to the control circuit for transporting the fuel carrier from the carrier reservoir to the carrier tank in response to the supply signal; and a second carrier sensor mounted to the carrier reservoir and electrically connected to the control circuit for informing that a stock amount of the fuel carrier in the carrier reservoir is lower than a second predetermined level by outputting a warning signal.
More preferably, the injection control system further includes a trouble-detection circuit electrically connected to the control circuit, the first and second carrier sensors, the carrier pump and the carrier injector for detecting respective operational states, and outputting an informing signal to have the control circuit output a corresponding voice-alarm signal to specify a malfunction situation; and a voice generating circuit electrically connected to the control circuit for sending out a pre-stored voice to broadcast the malfunction situation in response to the voice-alarm signal.
A second aspect of the present invention relates to the use of the injection control system as recited above for controlling water injection into a vehicular engine as a fuel carrier to support gasoline.
A third aspect of the present invention relates to a process for controlling the injection of a fuel carrier into an internal combustion engine to support thereon a fuel. The process includes steps of sequentially receiving a series of revolving-rate signals indicative of a series of revolving rates; outputting a first disable signal in response to a revolving-rate drop exceeding a first threshold value; and inhibiting the injection of the fuel carrier into the internal combustion engine in response to the disable signal.
Preferably, the first disable signal is outputted when a revolving rate is higher than a second threshold value and a revolving-rate drop exceeds the first threshold value during a predetermined period.
More preferably, the process further includes steps of comparing the series of revolving rates with a third threshold value; outputting an enable signal in response to a revolving rate higher than the third threshold value; and outputting a second disable signal in response to a revolving rate no higher than the second threshold value.
For example, the first threshold value is about 500 rpm, the predetermined period is about 0.5 seconds, the second threshold value is about 2000 rpm, and the third threshold value is about 1200 rpm.